Developing-tank.



R. A. WOODMAN.

DEVELOPING TANK.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I6l I9I5.

1,164,773. Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Fly/L I 'I FWZ' f6 0l- I am I I I I m II III? il"II II I I U40 #7 H7 l 7 "i" I9 [Z II w1 l/ I' lli ,5g i I ,II 5 h III #5 l0 IZ /I #j Y will Oi'O-IIIIIM o Il WIILI l l I .J6 EiI EH'IIII. I I

UI, I I 'l I II III 1y j www @faz JJ COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.,wAsIIINGTON. n, c.

Innen/tof,

'R. A. WODMAN.

DEVELOPING TANK.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I6. 1915.

1,164,773. Patented Dee.21,1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

gmc/nto@ R. A. WOODMAN.

DEVELOPlNG TANK.

, APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16. 1915 1,164,773. l Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

g4? 3M @FM4/mmm :GLUMBIA PLAN RAYMOND A. WooDMAN, 0F MITCHELL, SOUTH DAKOTA.

DEVELOPING-TANK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

Application filed January 16;. 1915. Serial No. 2,642.

[o all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, RAYMOND A. 700D- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mitchell, in the county of Davison and State of South Dakota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Developing- Tanks, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to photography, and more particularly to the developing of plates in this art, and has for an object to provide a developing tank for eifectually developing photographic plates in daylight and in which the developing operation can be readily and accurately carried out in such a manner that a large number of plates can be developed at the same time.

The invention contemplates, among other features, the provision of a tank which is capable ot developing a large number of plates in bulk, thus providing a tank which would save a great deal of time and labor in the developing of the photographic plates, the tank furthermore being of such nature and construction that the developing operation can take place in daylight and not i-n the usual dark room that is ordinarily employed `for the purpos of insuring proper developing of photographic plates.

Still further objects of the invention r'eside in a developing tank into which the plates can be loaded in daylight prior to the developing process, the plates being also removable in bulk from the tank after they have been properly developed.

In the further disclosure of the invention reference is lto be had to the accompanying drawings, constituting a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the developing tank and its component parts; Fig. 2 is a side elevation looking at the opposite side of the tank; Fig. 3 is a plan view, with the transferring hopper and plate holder removed; Fig 4 a plan view, with the cover of the tank removed; Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken through the developing tank, the transferring hopper and plate holder; Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal Sectional view taken through the developing tank and the parts shown in Fig.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the carrier removed from the tank; Fig. Sis a front elevation of the plate holder, With the slide removed; and Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional View taken through the plate holder, showing the manner of supporting the same on the transferring hopper of the tank.

Refering more particularly to the views, I provide a box-like receptacle 10 of a substantially rectangular construction and which is arranged to receive a suitable cover 11 held in locked relation to the receptacle by swingingly supported securing members 12 on the receptacle and engaging notched flanges 13 on the cover, said securing members 12 being so arranged and constructed that the cover can be readily unfastened with respect to the receptacle and bodily7 removed from the receptacle. The side wall 14 of the receptacle carries an inner supplementary partially spaced wall 15, thus providing a chamber 16 between the Walls 14 and 15, said chamber having openings 17 communicating with the interior or' the receptacle. An inlet funnel-like member 18 having a suitable swinging cover or closure 19 is connected with the side wall 14 and communicates with the chamber 16 and similarly an outlet pipe 20 communicates with the chamber 16, said outlet pipe projecting from the side wall 14 near its lower end and normally closed by a spring-actuated pipe sealing member or closure 21, as clearly shown.

A plate carrier 22 is removably disposed in the receptacle 10, said plate carrier being formed with vertical guideways 23 constituting pockets 24 for the usual photographic plates, one of which is indicated by the numeral 25, side pieces 26 being provided on the carrier and having lateral flanges 27 reposing upon tracks 28 projecting from the inner side walls of the receptacle adjacent its upper end so that the carrier will depend. within the receptacle. The

carrier is furthermore provided with a suit-4 able bottom 29 with which uprights 30 are formed, said uprights having connection with the body of the carrier, with the bottom adapted to limit the downward movement of the plates in the pockets formed by the vertical guideways. A stud or pin 31 projects from a side of the carrier and carries a suitable roller 3Q, with the roller adapted to lie below the tracks when the carrier is disposed in the receptacle, one of the tracks being for this reason provided with an opening 33 to permit the passage of the roller and pin when the carrier is disposed in the receptacle. The roller is adapted to be received in the upper forked end 34 of a member Which is keyed to a shaft 36 journaled in a side of the receptacle and projecting exteriorly thereof, said shaft carrying a rigid operating lever 37 projecting upwardly to operate over a segment 38 on which a series of graduations 39, indicative of the pockes 24, are arranged, a suitable indicator 40 being provided on the lever 37 to operate over the graduations on the segment 38, as will be clearly seen. rlhe segment 38, together with the member and the lever 37, constitutes a carrier operating means for advancing the carrier 22 Within the receptacle lO for a purpose that Will be hereinafter more clearly described and inasmuch .as it is desired to advance the carrier periodically or only at cert-ain intervals of time, it is desired to lock the lever 37 against accidental movement. To this end, the segment 38 includes a segmentally shaped depending plate 41 provided with a series of apertures 42 formed with relation to the graduations 39 on the segment 38 so that a .spring-actuated locking element 43 movably carried on the lever 37 can have an end 44 thereof project into one of the apertures 43 and lock the lever against movement. Thus when the lever has its indicator at the graduation l on the segment the carrier 22 Will be disposed in initial position Within the receptacle and as the lever is advanced over the segment to the succeeding graduations, it will be" seen that the carrier through the medium of the forked member 35 connecting With the carrier will be correspondingly advanced along the tracks in the receptacle, it being necessary each time that the lever is operated to remove the end 44 of the locking element 43 from one of the apertures 42 so as to unlock the lever and permit of its operation.

The cover 19 is formed with a transverse slot 45 and supported on the top of the cover .and in registration with the slot 45 is a transversely extending socket 46 adapted to receive the lower reduced end of a transferring hopper 4T to vertically support the hopper on the cover. rlhe cover, furtherymore, is provided with a plate 48 suitably secured to the under side of the cover and having spaced portions, with a closure 49 slidably interposed between the cover and the plate, said closure being actuated by a spring 50 to normally close the slot 45, a suitable handle 5l projectingthrough a slot 52 in the cover for the purpose of readily operating the cover so as to open the slot in the cover. A tapered transversely slotted guiding element 53 depends from the plate 48 and lies in registration with the slot 45, said guiding element being adapted to depend in the receptacle and lie adjacent to the upper end of the carrier so as to guide the plate in its descent into the carrier. ln order to prevent any binding of the carrier Within the receptacle when it is advanced therein as mentioned heretofore, side rails 7 54 depend from the under side of the cover and provide sufficient space between the tracks and the lower edges of the side rails to permit of the ready operation of the carrier upon the tracks. that When the carrier is in initial position in the receptacle, the lever having its indicator 40 at the graduation l, the first pocket of the carrier will lie immediately beneath the slot in the cover and the transverse guiding element 53 to insure the advancement of a plate from the tansferring hopper into the first pocket of the carrier. 1When the lever is advanced to the second graduation on the segment 38 the second pocket of the carrier s will aline With the guiding element and be disposed immediately beneath the slot in the cover to receive the second plate.

The transferring hopper, as mentioned heretofore, has the lower reduced tubular end adapted to seat in the socket 4G and the transferring hopper is formed with a continuance flange 55 against which a side of a plate holder 56 is adapted to abut whereby NOW it will be clear Tf one face of the plate holder and a side of .if

the transferring hopper Will form a coinpartn'ient 57 having the tubular reduced portion of the transferring hopper communicat ing therewith so that a plate received in the compartment 57 Will gravitate through the La'.

tubular reduced portionof the transferring hopper and, upon the opening of the closure 49, gravitate into one of the compartments of the carrier. ln order to secure the plate holder in position on the transferring L, f

hopper the transferring hopper is provided with laterally extending vertically slotted side pieces 58 in the nature of plates and which receive in the slots thereof the ends of a locking` bar 59 carrying a spring 60 adaptplates, one plate being arranged in each 'ijf compartment. rllhe plate holder, furthermore, embodies the usual locking mechanism 4 for locking a plate in a compartment thereof and which locking mechanism in detail consists merely of a *spring carried in '135 the under side of the top of the plate holder and operated by a rod 66 carrying a locking dog 67 adapted to engage a pin 68 projecting from the top of the plate holder. l'lvith this structure, When a plate is inserted in the compartment and the locking mechanism 64 is actuated the spring 65 bearing against one end of the plate forces the other end of the plate against the lower end of the plate holder, thus locking the plate in the compartment, the usual slide 61 being then arranged in position to cover the plate so that the plate holder can be carried into the daylight without fear of spoiling the plate.

Now it will be apparent that when the plate holder is arranged upon the transferring hopper and locked in position as mentioned the removal of one of the slides from the plate holder and the subsequent unlocking of the plate in the plate will not ordinarily cause the plate to be moved into the compartments 57 formed by the plate holder and the wall of the transferring hopper and in order to insure the advancement of the plate into the compartment so that it will gravitate downwardly into the reduced portion of the transferring hopper and strike the closure 49, a projecting member 69 is provided and which is secured to the intermediate wall 62 of the plate holder having a plurality of springs 7 O which, bearing against the inner face of the plate, will advance it into the compartment 57 when the plate is released from locked relation to the plate holder. If desirable, an additional spring 71 can be employed to facilitate the advancement of the plate from the compartment of the plate holder to the compartment of the transferring hopper. The projecting member G9 is preferably Struck from a single piece of metal, with the spring integral with the body of the projecting member 69, said projecting member furthermore haring lateral holding lugs 72 struck from its lower edge to receive the lower edge of the plate, with an intermediate lug 73 eX- tending downwardly to the body of the plate holder to insure the positive securement of the projecting member to the intermediate wall of the plate holder. Therefore, it will be clearly seen that when a plate in the plate holder' has been exposed in the usual manner in the camera and it is desired to remove the plate from the plate holder so that the plate holder can be refilled, with the exposed plate adapted to be subsequently developed, the plate holder is applied to the transferring hopper in the manner mentioned and locked thereto by the locking bar 59, after which the slide 61 is removed and the locking mechanism ll actuated to release the plate from locked relation to the plate holder and permit of the springs 70 and 71 pushing the plate out of the plate holder into the compartment of the transferring hopper. From this compartment the plate will gravitate downwardly into the reduced portion of the transferring hopper until it strikes the closure 49. The closure is now actuated against the tension of its spring to uncover the slot 45, thus permitting the plate to gravitate into the receptacle 10 and into the carrier 22. The first plate dropping to the carrier is the first plate received in the receptacle, yand the same is dropped into the first pocket of the carrier and which first pocket lies in the vertical plane of the transferring hopper and immediately beneath the slot of the cover, it being clear that the position of the carrier in the receptacle can be determined by the locking and indicating lever 37 on the exterior of the receptacle. Subsequently additional plates that have been exposed are dropped into the carrier and which, each time that a plate is received therein, is advanced to present the next pocket for the reception of the next plate. When all of the pockets in the carrier have been filled with the plates the developing solution that is usually used in the developing of plates is poured into the receptacle through the funnel like member 18 and the required time for the fiuid to act upon the sensitized surface of the plate is permitted to elapse, after which, by operating the spring actua-ted closure 21, the developing fluid can be drained from the receptacle through the outlet pipe 2() to be used again at a subsequent time. A discharge of clear, cold water is now poured into the funnel like member 18 and drained from the receptacle through the outlet pipe 20, said water washing any surplus developing fluid from the plates in the receptacle. The usual fixing bath is now poured into the member 18 and after the fixing bath has properly operated upon the sensitized surface of the plates, this fluid is also drained from the receptacle through the outlet pipe 20 by operating the closure 21 to uncover the outlet pipe. yThe securing members 12 can now he removed from engagement with the flanges 13 of the cover and the cover bodily removed from the receptacle, after which the lever 37 having been swung to a middle position on the segment to bring the roller 32 into registration with the opening 33, thus permitting of bodily removing the carrier from the receptacle so that the carrier can now be set out, with the plates supported therein, thus constitutingta drying rack, with the plates adapted to remain in the carrier until they are dry, although the carrier with the plates, after removal from the receptacle, can either be bodily immersed in water to wash the negatives or the negatives can be individually removed from the carrier and individually washed if desired.

From the foregoing description, it will thus be clearly seen that with a developing tank of the character described the developing operation can be quickly and accurately carried out in daylight without the necessity of loading the tank in a dark room and the developing operation furthermore completed Without unduly soiling the hands or clothing. llt will be clear that a great deal of time and labor will be saved With a developing tank of the character described for the reason that a large number of plates can be developed at one time, the solutions which are successively poured into the receptacle and removed therefrom being adapted to act upon the plates in bulk. rlhe continuous flange or the transferring hopper is preferably covered 'with felt or some other snitable opaque material to prevent the intrusion of light bet-Ween the plate holder and transferring hopper, and it Will be readily understood that various parts of the strncture described can be similarly lined or covered with a suitable material to protect the plates rrom nndnc exposnre to light prior to and during the developing operation.

Having thus described my invention, l claim:

L A developing tank comprising a receptacle and a cover therefor, a carrier arranged to slide in Lh' receptacle, means for advancing the carrier in the receptacle and for determining the position of the carrier therein, an inle to the receptacle, an outlet therefor, a soclit on the cover, a transferring hopp Jr supported in the socket and in registration With a slot in the cover, a closure normally closing the slot in the cover, a plate carrying holder adapted to seat on the trans terring hopper, and means tor locking the plate carrying hclder in position whereby a plate removed from the holder and transferred to the hopper Will upon opening the closure for the slot gravitate into said car-- rior arranged in a predetermined position in the receptacle by the operating means therefor.

il. developing tank comprising a receptacle and a cover therefor., a carrier arranged to slide inthe receptacle, means for advancing the carrier in the receptacle and tor determining the position of the carrier therein, an inlet to the receptacle, an outlet therefor, a socket on the cover, a transferring hopper supported. in the socket and in registration with a slot in the cover, a closure normally closing the slot in the cover, a plate carrying holder adapted to seat on the transferring hopper, means for locking the plate carrying holder' in position Where by a plate renfiored from the holder and transferred to the hopper Will upon opening the closure fior the slot in the cover, gravitate into said carrier arranged in a predetermined position in the receptacle by the operating means there-tor, and means for insuring the advancement of the plate from the holder into the transferring hopper.

3. A developing tank comprising a receptacle, a track in the receptacle, a plate supporting carrier mounted to slide on the track, a projection on the carrier, a member pivoted Within 'the receptacle and connecting with the projection on the carrier, an operating lever pivoted on the exterior or the receptacle and connecting with the member whereby operation ot the lever will insure operation of the member and advance Vthe carrier in the receptacle and over said track, and means exterior of the receptacle and associated with said lever for denoting the position of the carrier Within the receptacle.

'l. A developing tank comprising a receptacle, a track in the receptacle, a plate supporting carrier mounted to slide on the track, a projection on the carrier, a member pivoted Within the receptacle and connecting With the projection on the carrer, an operating lever pivoted on the exterior oiE the receptacle and connecting with 'the member whereby operation of the lever 'will insure operation of the member and advance the carrier in the receptacle and over said track, means exterior of the receptacle and associated with said lever for denoting the position of the carrier within the receptacle, an apertnred plate on the exterior of the receptacle, a spring actuated locking device associated with said lever andvhaving an end for projecting into one oiI the apertures of the plate to hold the lever against movement.

A developing tank, in combination With a receptacle, a cover Jfor the receptacle and provided With a transverse slot, a tubular socket on the cover and communicating with the slot, a transferring hopper having a reduced tubular portion extending into the socket to support the transferring hopper on the cover, a plate carrying holder for connection With the hopper,7 means on the holder for insuring the advancement oi the plate into 'the hopper vwhereby said plate can gravitate through the tubular portion oit the transtrring hopper and the slot in the cover, lnto said receptacle, a spring actuated closure normally interrupting the passage ot the plate from the transferring hopper to the receptacle, and a spring actuated locke ying element on the transferring hopper and associated With the plate carrying holder to secure the holder in locked relation to the hopper.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature in presence 01"' tivo Witnesses.

BAYM-ND A. VOODMAN. Witnesses:

Criss. TWannen,

VV. M. HERBERT.

Copies of this patent may ne obtained for five cents each, by addressing' the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I. C. 

